Latch



Feb. 14, 1928. 1,658,921

. A. EKMAN LATCH Filed March 7. 1927 [NVENTOR' ATTORNEY Patented Feb.` 14,1928.

ANDREW EKMAnoF GRAND RAPIDS, MroHIGnnnssic-'inon To GRAND' nniinsnness f12,6581zif1A COMPANY, F GRAND RAPIDS, MCI-IIG-AN, A CORPORATON-OF l' LATCH.

i Appiication sied March 7, 1927i kserial Nojwaaia.

The present invention relates to latches for the doors ofl refrigerators and the'like; and its object is to provide a latch having improved means for yieldingly holding the lik latching bolt in certain positions, and in certain movements of the bolt urging the same into another ofits positions and fuither, to provide a latch having such means and adapted to be mounted on 'aldoor closure svvingably mounted at either of its opposite sides; and further, to provide such a 4latch whose partsl may be readily assembled; and further, to provide such a latch having few parts and which may lbe easily and economicallyl constructed.`

These and any other objects hereinafter appearing are attained by. and theinvention finds preferable embodiment in, the structure hereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illus trated by the accompanying drawings, in whichz-4 Figure 1 is a front view of a latch and its keeper element mounted on a doorl closure and frame or j amb thereof,V respectively;

Figure 2 is a left-hand side view thereof, the door closurey beingpartially open;

Figure 3 is an inner side view of the latch;

Figure 4 isal View in perspectiveof the latchsl casing, showing its inner side; and

Figure .5 is a view in perspective of the bolts actuating-spring.

In the embodiment of the invention illusti'ated by the accompanying drawings, a latch is shown mounted on the closure ineinber` 1 of a door, its keeper element 2 being mounted on the j amb or frame member `of the door. InFigures 1 and2 the latch is shown mounted on a closure member hinged at its right-hand side, but the same latch may be mounted on a closure member hinged at its opposite or left-hand side. This latch comprises a latching bolt 4t swingably carried in a casing 6, a portion 7 of the. bolt eXtending through a slot 8 in one side wall 9 of the casing and being adapted to latchingly engage in the keeper recess 10 of the element 2 to hold the closure member 1 shut. This latching bolt may be swung by hand by any In'the illustrated latch, the bolt l has por;

tions 14, 15 spaced'apart in the bolts transverse di-re"ctioii.` yThis latching bolt is k.a floating"eleineiit'swingablyinovable iii the slots 8 and ,12. These portions 14. 15 are adapted to' abut'onthe inner surface of the side wall 13of the casing adjacent the ends of the slot 12, in the latching position of the bolt as seen in Figures 1 andB; but, when the outer portion 7 of the bolt is moved upwardly froin'such latching positiointhe portion lll/of the bolt turns on said surface while the other portion 15 'moves away` from said surface tr :ind in case thelatch is inount- `ed. on a door closure hinged at its oppo-v site or left-hand side,tlie swinging fof the bolt in the opposite direction to retracted sides respectiyely of the bolt, this spring being mounted atits ends 22, 22 on the side wall 9 of tlie casing. and said parallel portions being yconnected by a. biglit portion which vstraddles and operatively engages the bolt, being seatedvin lits notch or recess 26. .Each ofsaid parallel portions-21coinprises,

in. the shown construction, parallelly disi posed parts 27, 28k connected by a bend 29. The parts may be assembled by thrusting the handle portion 11 of the bolt endwise, first through the longer slot 8 in the casings side wall 9 and then through the shorter slot 12 in the casings vside wall 13. The bolts portions 14, 15 may thus be passed through the longer slot 8. but extend transversely of the bolt too far to pass through the shorter slot 12. The bight port-ion 25 of the spring 2O is nowinserted into the bolts notch 26, and thus, pressing the bolts portions le, 15, to Ward the side wall 13, holds the parts in assembled position.

The invention being intended to bepointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or byv details ofconstruction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the .accompanying drawings or hereinbefore described. 

